DirectAdmin usually works flawlessly, but sometimes you encounter an error. In this article, we cover the most common problems and how to solve them. Keep this page handy for quick troubleshooting.

Login problems

"Invalid username or password"

Problem: You can't log in despite correct password.

Solutions:

1. Check your username: This is usually your hosting username, not your email address
2. Caps Lock: Make sure Caps Lock is off
3. Spaces: Ensure there are no spaces before or after your credentials
4. Reset password: Use the "Forgot Password" link
5. Browser cache: Clear your browser cache and cookies

Still not solved? Contact support for a password reset.

"Account suspended"

Problem: Your account is temporarily blocked.

Possible causes:

• Payment overdue
• Limit exceeded (disk, bandwidth)
• Suspicious activity detected
• Spam sent via your account

Solution: Contact support to find out the reason and restore your account.

"Too many login attempts"

Problem: You're temporarily blocked due to too many login attempts.

Solution:

1. Wait 15-30 minutes
2. Try again with the correct credentials
3. If your IP remains blocked: contact support

Website errors

Error 500 - Internal Server Error

Problem: Your website shows an error message without specific details.

Check first:

1. View error logs in DirectAdmin → Error Logs
2. PHP memory limit: Your memory might be exhausted

Common causes and solutions:

1. Error in .htaccess

Temporarily rename: .htaccess → .htaccess_backup
Test your site again

2. PHP version incompatible

• Go to PHP Version Manager
• Try a different PHP version (7.4, 8.0, 8.1, 8.2)

3. Permission problems

• Folders: 755
• Files: 644
• wp-config.php: 600 or 644

4. Plugin/theme conflict

• Temporarily rename /wp-content/plugins/
• Test your site
• Activate plugins one by one

Error 403 - Forbidden

Problem: Access denied to a page or file.

Solutions:

1. Check permissions: Files should be at least 644, folders 755
2. IP not blocked?: Ask support if your IP is on a blacklist
3. Index file present?: Check if there's an index.html or index.php in the folder
4. Mod_security: Sometimes the firewall blocks legitimate requests - contact support

Error 404 - Not Found

Problem: Page not found.

Solutions:

1. Check URL: Typo in the URL?
2. Upload file: Is the file actually present?
3. Reset permalinks (WordPress): Settings → Permalinks → Save
4. Check .htaccess: Should contain rewrite rules

White page (White Screen of Death)

Problem: Page is completely white, no error message.

Solutions:

1. Enable PHP errors - Add to wp-config.php:

define('WP_DEBUG', true);
define('WP_DEBUG_LOG', true);

2. Check /wp-content/debug.log for details
3. Increase PHP memory - In php.ini or .user.ini:

memory_limit = 256M

4. Debug plugins/themes as with Error 500

Email problems

Sending email doesn't work

Check:

1. SMTP settings: Port 465 (SSL) or 587 (TLS)
2. Authentication: Full email address as username
3. SPF record: Correctly set in DNS?
4. Quota: Is your mailbox full?

Receiving email doesn't work

Check:

1. MX records: Point to the correct mail server?
2. Mailbox quota: Space available?
3. Spam filter: Is the mail in spam?
4. Forwarders: Is there a forwarding loop?

"Sender address rejected"

Problem: Mail is rejected when sending.

Solutions:

1. Only send from addresses on your own domain
2. Check SPF record
3. Check if the sending address exists as mailbox or alias

Database errors

"Error establishing database connection"

Problem: Website cannot connect to the database.

Check:

1. Database credentials in wp-config.php or application config
2. Database server is running (usually localhost)
3. Database user has privileges on the database
4. Database limit: Quota not exceeded?

In DirectAdmin:

1. Go to MySQL Management
2. Check if the database exists
3. Check if the user is linked
4. Test the connection via phpMyAdmin

"MySQL server has gone away"

Problem: Database connection lost during query.

Possible causes:

• Query takes too long
• Upload is too large
• Timeout reached

Solutions:

1. Increase max_execution_time in PHP
2. Split large imports into smaller parts
3. Contact support for server-side adjustments

FTP problems

Cannot connect via FTP

Check:

1. Hostname: Correct server address (often your domain name)
2. Port: 21 (FTP) or 22 (SFTP)
3. Username: Often username@domain.com
4. Passive mode: Enable for connection problems
5. Firewall: Is FTP access allowed on your network?

"Permission denied" when uploading

Solution:

1. Check permissions of the target folder (should be 755)
2. Upload to public_html, not to root
3. Check disk space (quota full?)

SSL/HTTPS problems

SSL certificate not valid

Possible causes:

1. Certificate expired: Renew in DirectAdmin → SSL Certificates
2. Domain mismatch: Certificate is for different domain
3. Mixed content: Some resources load via HTTP

Mixed content warnings

Problem: Browser warns about insecure content.

Solution:

1. Change all http:// links to https://
2. WordPress: use plugin "Really Simple SSL"
3. Database: search and replace http to https

Disk quota full

Disk space exhausted

Symptoms:

• Cannot upload files
• Emails don't arrive
• Website errors

Solutions:

1. Clean logs: /logs/ folder in DirectAdmin
2. Delete backups: Old backups in /backups/
3. Delete spam: Empty spam folders
4. Clear cache: WordPress cache, browser cache
5. Find large files: Via File Manager, sort by size

DirectAdmin interface problems

DirectAdmin loads slowly

Solutions:

1. Clear browser cache: Hard refresh with Ctrl+Shift+R
2. Try different browser: Chrome, Firefox, Edge
3. Disable VPN: Some VPNs cause delays
4. Peak hours: Server might be busy, try later

Features not available

Problem: Certain options are missing in DirectAdmin.

Possible causes:

1. Package limitation: Not all features are available in every package
2. Reseller limits: Ask your reseller for more options
3. Account type: User, reseller, and admin have different rights

When to contact support?

Contact support if:

• You still have a problem after these steps
• You don't have access to DirectAdmin
• You suspect a server error (multiple sites down)
• You notice suspicious activity
• You need help with complex configurations

When contacting support, always mention:

• Your domain name
• Exact error message (screenshot if possible)
• When the problem started
• What you've already tried
• Any recent changes

We're happy to help you solve the problem!